Recommended links to learn basics of mixing, eq/fx/reverb?

[JPGarbarini]

Hello,

Does anyone know of any good websites that give tutorials/examples on how to do mixing and add things like reverb, limiting, compression etc.?

I know there are lots out there but none I have seen yet take the angle coming from a composer recording/mixing/mastering several tracks of orchestral music.

That and I don't know the first thing about the whole process. There's a reverb button in Sonar... I push that and smile [[:)]]

I've never mixed multiple tracks though and would like to learn the whole process. I'm going to be recording some of my music soon [[:)]]

[Holgmeister]

...and it is on sale right now.

It is all about learning to HEAR --- plus some tools of the trade. Reading itself does not help much.

http://recordingschool.biz/recording_school/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=22&zenid=b975215c9c7bab51963993be459b9124">http://recordingschool.biz/recording_school/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=22&zenid=b975215c9c7bab51963993be459b9124

[thierry.ecuvillon]

Hi,

Have yoy buy it?
Is it a good products ?

How many time for the mix movies ?

Is quicktime ok for it ?

My english is limited, do you think it is necessary to know very well the technical langage or we can learn buy the picture ?

Thank a lot

Thierry Ecuvillon

[:D] [:O]ops: [:O]ops:

[Frankie Ho]

Hi, have you read about Beat Kaufmann's tutorials yet? [[;)]]

http://www.beat-kaufmann.com/tipspcmusic/index.html">http://www.beat-kaufmann.com/tipspcmusic/index.html

It's quite an easy guide especially if you are working with VSL too (which the tutorials were written for). It focuses on the sequencing process more but it touches a bit on how to mix your track, stereo image, EQ, reverb, etc.

Cheers,
Frankie

[thierry.ecuvillon]

i have buy the mix vidéo and the effect vidéo today and realy i haven't learn anythik ! ( and i am not a professionnal!)
For exemple he show that this button is to put more db on a EQ but he don't take a sound file and explain how to find the freq to move and work to make better.
If you want i show you that this is a button and this is the mix for dry and wet, i can do it !, i have just to read what is writen on the button, and for that i don't ask your money !!

in the effect vidéo, he show us what exist epl: this is a reverb and this button is the time but he don't explain how and why to use it

in the mix vidéo, he turn the button, he play with the fader but he don't explain what he is looking for, why and how to do this think or this other think.
Teaching is a job !

He do and we see but if we don't know what is inside his mind, we don't understand what he do

i resume, it is a exposition of effect but not a explication
And to finish, the picture are very nice on the web site but the movies are done with a old programm and vst plug style free plug



Sorry i would prefer say other think about this product but i am really unhappy and i don't want people feel the same

[JPGarbarini]

I agree with theirry. I went ahead and bought the video and was very disappointed. I was sort of nice to watch someone do it but he never explained WHY he was changing things. Just, lets put compression here, eq here, etc. He never explained why or exactly what each effect was doing.

Frankie, I've seen the tutorials for how to add reverb,eq,etc. I guess I'm missing the really really basic information. What is compression and why do you use it? What exactly is a limiter and where is it usefull. I understand some of these to a degree but do not know what situations to use them in. EQ... well there again, I know what EQ is but not how/why/where to use it [:)]

[PoppaJOL]

JPGIII

This is an older series of videos. They are about analogue recording (and his humor is...questionable) but he expalins the theory behind everything. I think they are quite useful if you have limited recording studio experience. I have the complete series and do not regret the price.

http://www.firstlightvideo.com/Audio_Production.html


Good Luck!

Poppa

[Frankie Ho]

@JPGIII said:

What is compression and why do you use it? What exactly is a limiter and where is it usefull. I understand some of these to a degree but do not know what situations to use them in. EQ... well there again, I know what EQ is but not how/why/where to use it [:)]

Well basically you may imagine a compressor is something to even out the dynamic range of a certain track, which it makes the loud bits sound softer and the soft bits sound louder. You wouldn't want this overdone with orchestral instruments though coz classical/orchestral music DOES have big dynamic range, unlike pop/rock or vocal music, which usually goes for a more static volume. Compression can kill an orchestral/classical track VERY EASILY, beware hehe!

Limiter is similar to a compressor except it ONLY "limits" how loud the track is. Could be a great tool when you are recording live music , especially close mic'ing that you wouldn't want that singer suddenly goes berserk and clip every note! [:D]

Beat's tutorials explains EQ very well I think. It's just a tool to change the timbre of an instrument. And the best application of it is not to use it at all! [:D] At least in the beginning stage hehe. But simple editing like cutting off high and low frequencies (as mentioned in the tutorials) will help a lot for the placement of the instruments, coz, imagine you are hearing a violin like 20 metres away from you, that definitely won't sound as "bright" as when it's just 1 metre away from you, therefore why a cut in high frequencies (using EQ) will help. Same goes for bass instruments as well, for the low frequencies.

And IMHO, if you find certain notes in a track sound too loud, I would rather use EQ to "tune" down it than using compressor. At least for orchestral instruments coz it's more natural. Or just simply run a limiter and set to, say, loudest volume = -8dB.

You could load a pop/rock track and an orchestral track in your audio editor, and check how the two WAV's look like and you might understand what I mean!

These are just very general remarks, please don't take it as the ultimate solutions! hehe.

Cheers,
Frankie

[Dietz]

All of this is correct, Frankie Ho - but as a matter of fact, I (and many others) use a compressor for purely _creative_ reasons at least as often as for flattening a dynamically difficult track. The proper combination of threshold and ratio, attack and release can make a boring track come to live and bring it up to the front - or (quite contrary) into the background. All this without the "pragmatical" need for compression or limiting.

[Frankie Ho]

Hi Dietz, yes I agree actually. Maybe I was exaggerating in my post hehe.... coz way back in time I learned it the hard way how to use compressor.... that the first time I made a lyrical classical string quartet sounds like Kronos Quartet playing Jimi Hendrix' Purple Haze! [:D]

I quite like using Samplitude's default multiband compressor, especially to "brighten" up a track which contains vocals too. Waves' Ultramaximizer is an alternative to me.

Cheers,
Frankie

[Holgmeister]

@thierry.ecuvillon said:

i have buy the mix vidéo and the effect vidéo today and realy i haven't learn anythik ! ( and i am not a professionnal!)
....
Sorry i would prefer say other think about this product but i am really unhappy and i don't want people feel the same

Sorry that I posted this link uncommented. I just read about it at harmony-central and liked the idea (and the price) I was thinking about joining it for the semester period.

It 's also a lesson in not posting just any link..Next time I'll be more careful.

[JPGarbarini]

Thanks for all the great info! there's just a lot to learn hehe. Best thing to do really is just get out there, try it, and see what happens. I need a better version of Sonar. I've got the cheapo version hehe.... maybe I should look at cubase instead since all the videos seem to use that (not starting that debate here lol).

Holgmeister, it's a good video in the sense of seeing what happens when you master 30 tracks of audio but for the price I felt it should have included more of the reasoning behind the presenter's choices [[:)]] When he says "Let's add compression to this track" you get to see what happens and hear how it effects the whole mix, but he doesn't explain what lead him to that decision which, imho, is the only real important thing so viewers can recognize where they need to use it [[:)]]

[PoppaJOL]

JPGIII:

Here are links to a couple of Home Study audio recording courses. They can give you a pretty good overview of answers to all the questions you have asked and you can use your equipment to practice the skills. Again, these are good if you are a beginner in recording. They are not for the experienced engineer.

http://www.audioinstitute.com/

http://kiqproductions.com/

Be Well,

Poppa

[thierry.ecuvillon]

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:gNKG8zGw1r0J:www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug01/articles/usingeq.asp+equalisation++strings&hl=fr&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=safari

[:D]


ps; you can click to enlarge the orchestral frequences picture

[Dietz]

I just happend to find this site:

-> http://www.recordingschoolonline.com/

I have no idea how they are, but content-wise their program seems to be right on the spot.

EDIT: Obviously this is exactly the same company Holgmeister wrote about earlier in this thread. Sorry for any confusion.

[Holgmeister]

I'll tried to get in contact with recordingschoolonline.com and ask about a statement about the issues. Actually, I'll send them three emails over the last week. No response. I think this says a lot about their customer care.